IL Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Esplin's Two-Run Single Propels Drive to 3-2 Victory

Published on July 2, 2021 under International League (IL)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs News Release


(Trenton, NJ) - The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (21-30) lost game one to the Buffalo Bisons (30-19) 5-2 on Friday evening. Game Two was suspended due to rain as the IronPigs trail the Bisons 4-1 with two outs in the top of the fifth inning.

Game 1

Matt Vierling put the IronPigs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning as he hit an RBI double against Connor Overton (2-0) to score Charlie Tilson. The Bisons tied the game at 1-1 against Mark Appel in the bottom of the first inning as Breyvic Valera scored on a double play.

Dalton Guthrie hit an RBI single against Overton in the top of the second inning to score Darick Hall and give Lehigh Valley a 2-1 lead. Appel left the game after 1 2/3 innings as he threw 55 pitches. Kevin Smith tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning when he hit an RBI single against David Paulino (1-2) to score Dilson Herrera.

Buffalo took a 4-2 lead against Paulino in the bottom of the fifth inning as Rowdy Tellez hit an RBI single, and Tyler White hit a sacrifice fly. Paulino allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief work. Tellez homered off Brady Lail in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Buffalo a 5-2 lead.

John Axford recorded his first save of the season for Buffalo as he retired the side in the top of the seventh inning.

Game 2

Alejandro Kirk homered against David Parkinson in the bottom of the first inning to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. It was the eighth home run of the season allowed by Parkinson. Buffalo scored three more runs against Parkinson in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Tyler White and Dilson Herrera each hit RBI doubles while Breyvic Valera hit a sacrifice fly.

Rain delayed the game and eventually led to a suspension with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Game two will resume play on Saturday at 5:30. The originally scheduled game on Saturday will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game and be a seven-inning contest.

Follow the IronPigs on Twitter at @IronPigs and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/LHVIronPigs.

The 2021 IronPigs season is presented by Capital BlueCross.

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International League Stories from July 2, 2021


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